 |
| Peggy's Path |
When he
said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
Sometimes, when we’re
angry at someone but afraid to express it directly, we resort to “passive aggression.”
This is a way of acting on one’s anger without getting caught. It may be as “innocent”
as coming late to a meeting that you didn’t want to attend in the first place,
or not bringing a plate to the pot-luck gathering. These are things that polite
people don’t get upset about; they might even honor your excuse; and neither
you nor they ever suspected the mean spirit beneath your negligence.
(However if they
begin to notice a pattern, you might find yourself unwelcome at their gatherings.)
Other forms of
passive aggression, such as we see in today’s gospel, are getting mad at the
wrong people. When a man can’t speak sharply to his abusive boss he yells at
his wife, who screams at the oldest child, who beats up the littlest child, who
kicks the dog.
In today’s gospel the
“leader of the synagogue” scolded the whole congregation for Jesus ’ healing the crippled woman. In effect, he
used them as a concave mirror to reflect his anger, amplified by the
congregation’s distress, onto the helpless woman. He dared not assail Jesus directly for, it would seem, “his hour had
not yet come.” So he attacked the old woman.
But Jesus would not let him get away with either
blaming her or not accusing him. He dared the leader and the congregation to
deny their feeding of their livestock on the Sabbath. Jewish scholars had
always admitted that God does some work on the Sabbath, such as birth and
death. These things happen regardless of the holy days. And it’s obvious that
if humans must eat on the Sabbath, so must their animals be fed. So why shouldn’t
Jesus heal on the Sabbath?
But the story is not
about Jesus ’ defying the Sabbath laws; it’s about his
championing the helpless. And it’s about the cost he will finally pay.
If he has humiliated
the synagogue leader on this Sabbath day, another day will come
when all Jesus ’ adversaries will converge on him.
That is a price Jesus is willing to pay for her and for us. And
once again, the whole crowd will rejoice at all the splendid deeds done by
him.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.